It can be disheartening once you have left the military and find yourself as a veteran in the civilian world. You may miss that brotherhood that comes with being in the military, and the way in which everyone watched out for everyone.
When looking into civilian employment, you may feel as though you are tackling this hurdle by yourself, but you do not have to do this on your own. Many veterans are getting into the civilian world and coping by having a mentor. And there are plenty of places where you can find a mentor or simply connect with other veterans that can become good friends.
The VFW
The VFW, or Veterans of Foreign Wars, is a great way to meet other veterans in your local area. Almost every state and city has several VFW branches. Not only are you going to meet other veterans who are older and have been successful in the civilian world, but they have programs to help you adjust to civilian life.
For example, they have job employment assistance to help connect you with whom you should talk, as well as preparation for taking college exams for civilian employment at a later date. Many veterans who join find friends and mentors, and they have gotten their assistance at finding employment.
Veteran Mentor Network
This is a fairly new group on LinkedIn and is a private network to join. Those who join are veterans and others helping vets to reach their civilian career goals. Those who join are connected with others across the nation looking for employment, or employers looking to hire vets with certain skills. It can be a great way not only to find employment, but also to connect with someone who can help mentor you through this process.
American Corporate Partners
This group is a nonprofit organization that helps veterans find civilian employment through mentorships and connecting them with veteran friendly businesses nationwide. Their mentoring program helps a veteran apply for college, as well as networking the veteran with those who can be helpful in job placement.
The American Legion
The American Legion is mostly known for its contributions to society, and this is a great group for a veteran to get involved in. Though they do not specifically state that they are about mentoring veterans into finding employment, those who are members can be of great assistance in adapting to civilian life. In many cases, they have networked individuals with others who have helped with finding a job, even though this may not have been the veteran's goal.
The Military-Civilian Career Coaching Connection (MC4)
This group is also on LinkedIn and is a private group to join. These mentors on the site are civilians and screened before they are allowed to help. They help the veteran in seeking a job, getting their resume perfect and basically giving them advice on what they should be doing. It can be a great resource for those who are looking to find civilian employment.
For every veteran seeking employment in the civilian world, a mentor can be a way to have success with whatever job they may be seeking. In addition, they are going to learn valuable information that is going to help them get a job even sooner, and perhaps find one in which they will be happier with.
For more information, contact our partners at www.hireourheroes.org.
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